


Rescued

by Color_me_surprised



Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: A/B/O, Bucky Barnes Needs a Hug, Hydra, Hydra (Marvel), M/M, Multi, OT4, Omegaverse, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Steve Rogers Needs a Hug, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, is that a thing?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-27
Updated: 2021-01-21
Packaged: 2021-03-06 21:01:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,575
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26145313
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Color_me_surprised/pseuds/Color_me_surprised
Summary: The patter of his own feet seemed to chase Peter as he ran for his life. He could barely hear it over his own pants and beating heart, but it only heightened the fear and anxiety that gave him the energy to just keep running. He knew if he stopped he would be caught. He knew if he were caught he would be killed. He couldn’t let that happen, couldn’t let May and Ben die in vain. He couldn’t fail them like that.
Relationships: Ben Parker & May Parker (Spider-Man) & Peter Parker, Ben Parker/May Parker (Spider-Man), James "Bucky" Barnes/Peter Parker, James "Bucky" Barnes/Peter Parker/Steve Rogers, James "Bucky" Barnes/Peter Parker/Steve Rogers/Tony Stark, James "Bucky" Barnes/Peter Parker/Tony Stark, James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers, James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers/Tony Stark, James "Bucky" Barnes/Tony Stark, Peter Parker/Steve Rogers, Peter Parker/Steve Rogers/Tony Stark, Peter Parker/Tony Stark, Steve Rogers/Tony Stark
Comments: 29
Kudos: 257





	1. 1

The patter of his own feet seemed to chase Peter as he ran for his life. He could barely hear it over his own pants and beating heart, but it only heightened the fear and anxiety that gave him the energy to just keep running. He knew if he stopped he would be caught. He knew if he were caught he would be killed. He couldn’t let that happen, couldn’t let May and Ben die in vain. He couldn’t fail them like that.

  
He ran until he couldn’t. It wasn’t that his legs hurt or his lungs were desperate for air. It was that his legs simply gave out and he went tumbling across the ground. It was only then that he was forced to pause and take stock of the situation that he found himself in.

  
The trees around him loomed, dark and sinister, blocking out most of the moonlight that patterned the hard-packed ground around him. Their roots were twisted, carving paths and grooves in the ground. Peter was in a hollow formed by some of those roots, a small protective haven within the cold and unfamiliar world that surrounded him now. And it truly was unfamiliar. All he had left of his pack - of his family - was his memories, and even those had now been tainted with screams and blood.  
He didn’t want to run anymore. It didn’t seem worth it. He didn’t care if they found him. What more could they do? He didn’t have anything to live for. The only thing they could take away was his life, and it wasn’t like that was worth much.  
Peter was glad for his small size ( _runt useless nothing_ ) as he moved further into his makeshift cave beneath the tree. He curled up tightly, allowing his thick black fur ( _dirty evil disgusting_ ) to protect him from the chill that brushed past on the wind.

  
He couldn’t sleep. When he closed his eyes, all he saw were flashing white fangs, pools of dark blood, the faces of the last family he had left crying for him to run. He could still hear their voices in the air. He could taste the fear that had run through him, the way that it overtook him and let him run. Why had he run? He could have stayed. He could have stayed and died with them, he could have fought. Maybe they could have run together. Maybe they could have lived. Even if he died, at least he wouldn’t be alone.

  
Because that was what Peter felt most intensely. The crushing loneliness that compressed his lungs and made him feel the cold that surrounded him. He pushed against the dirt walls around him, trying to pretend that it was soft fur and warm bodies. But nothing could change the fact that he was just so alone.

  
Peter didn’t know how long he lay there, out of sight and hopefully out of mind from his pursuers. He didn’t even know if they had followed him. They likely had assumed he was a pup ( _worthless_ ) and figured he would die without anyone to help him. Eventually the sun had to rise, right? He distracted himself by listening to the sounds around him. The rustling of the autumn leaves as they detached from their branches and drifted to the ground, the quiet whistling of the wind, the scurrying of bugs hidden beneath the leaves and dirt. His attention paid off, giving him an early warning that there was something coming - no, two somethings. Their footfalls were loud and quick; they were moving fast and right towards Peter. He wanted to run, to escape, to do anything other than just sit there and wait. He couldn’t make himself move. So he stayed where he was and hoped they didn’t pick up his scent.

  
His attempt paid off - for the moment. He heard sniffling and quiet yips, but no one came near his burrow. The pair didn’t appear to be talking or fighting, just checking the area together while they played a bit. A pang went through Peter’s heart at the thought of May and Ben doing that together. He bit back a whimper, knowing that danger was too close to make any sounds. He barely dared to breathe as he heard the other wolves drift closer and closer. His heart nearly stopped when he heard them speak.

  
“Someone’s here.” The bark was deep and quiet, more of a rumble than anything else. Peter’s breathing picked up at the words, squeezing his eyes closed even as he tried to determine if he recognized the voice from those who had attacked his pack.

  
“I know.” The response was a bit softer. This one’s voice was somehow lower but smoother. If the first one was a boulder rolling across the ground, the second one was the earth it packed beneath it, firmer and steadier.

  
“They smell terrified. What do we do?” The rumbly one was closer this time. Peter could almost feel the ground shaking from his footsteps.

  
“We find them and figure out if they’re a threat.” The smooth one was on the other side of Peter’s tree. Suddenly he was glad he hadn’t run. If he had, they’d have a much clearer path to follow. As it was, his scent had permeated and spread across the area, making it more difficult for them to pinpoint where he was. Now all he had to do was wait for them to leave. He decided that a slight movement was worth it, turning his back to the entrance slowly. Hopefully his coloring would finally come in handy to disguise him in the shade of his tiny overhang between the roots.

  
It was a good plan. Truly, it was. They never would have seen him in the darkness that surrounded him. His scent was too well-spread for them to have figured out exactly where he was before giving up. But he forgot to account for one thing.

  
When Peter moved, the bits of dirt that had fallen around him shifted. It was just enough to catch the eye of one of his pursuers. With his back turned, he missed the silent communication that passed between the two, how they crafted a plan to drag him out quickly and subdue him.

  
He was completely unprepared for the teeth that grabbed him by the scruff of his neck and dragged him out into the growing light of the forest. He was even less prepared for the size of the wolves that stood over him. Staring up at them from where he was pinned to the ground, it seemed like they could each swallow him with one bite. He pulled his ears back and stopped struggling immediately, fearful of any wrong movement that might result in one of the razor sharp claws slicing into him. He averted his eyes, knowing that more dominant wolves took eye contact as a threat and a challenge. All he wanted was for them to deem him not a threat and leave him alone.

  
Unfortunately for him, the pair did not seem to have any intention of letting him go.

  
“Fuck Tones, is that a pup?” The wolf standing off to the side questioned his packmate. It was the one with the smooth voice and as hard as he tried to not look, he couldn’t help noticing that one of his front legs wasn’t quite flesh. He didn’t dare try to get another peak as the wolf who had him pinned leaned closer and sniffed at him.

  
“Doesn’t smell like a pup. Smells dirty.” Peter twitched, his heart beating faster and terror thrumming through his body. He was dirty. He was worthless. They knew what he was and they were going to do it, they were going to get rid of him, they were going to k-

  
The paw came off of his chest and Peter scrambled back into his hole. He started digging. Maybe if he could get deep enough, they wouldn’t be able to reach him. Maybe he could escape this way. They were bigger, faster, stronger than him. Maybe he could do this.

  
He was so focused on his escape that he didn’t hear the conversation behind him.

“Now look what you did, you scared the poor thing!”

  
“How is that my fault? It was terrified before we got here, you smelt it just as much as I did. Don’t blame me.”

  
“He wasn’t tryin’ to dig himself a grave before we got here, that’s for sure.”

  
“Okay, I’ll give you that one… What do we do now?”

  
“You tell me. Don’t call you ‘genius’ for nothin’, do we?”

  
“You know it isn’t the same thing, don’t pull that.”

“Fine, you’re right, doll. Well, I figure we should get his attention first. Maybe a bit more tactful than draggin’ him out this time, huh?”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever.”

Peter hit a root. It was too tough for him to go through so he started going straight down instead. It would be faster anyway, he reasoned. It wasn’t like he would need to get back the way he came.

“You know, kid, you don’t have to use that as an escape route. If you just come out, we won’t chase you if you run.” The voice of one of the wolves finally cut through his panic, the calm and teasing tone somehow forcing him to stop. He twisted in his tunnel to look back out at the two muzzles stuck by the entrance.

  
“No, I think- I think I’m okay,” Peter responded quietly. He couldn’t risk them getting him again. They could hurt him so easily, just a bat of a paw and he’d be gone. Gone. Gone like May and Ben.

  
“Well, if that’s what you want, maybe we can just talk like this? No coming out or anything, you can stay right there and we can have a nice chat. How’s that sound?” It was the wolf who had pinned him so effortlessly, like it wasn’t even worth the effort to keep him still. Peter recognized his voice and his coloring. There was a slight greying about his muzzle, evidence of age adding character to the otherwise light coloring of his dappled fur and it somehow matched his rough voice. His companion was a darker shade of brown with flecks of white that nearly glittered in the gentle sunlight. It was clear that this one was the owner of the smooth and deep voice even though Peter had not yet seen him speak.

  
“Yeah.” Peter wasn’t quite sure why he agreed, but it wasn’t like he had any other choice. He was truly and utterly at their mercy.

  
“Good! Good, that’s good.” He glanced at the wolf next to him. “Well, I’m Tony and this is Bucky.” He paused, waiting for Peter to respond. When he didn’t, he continued. “We have a pack a short run from here. We were out patrolling when we caught your scent.” This time, he didn’t give Peter a choice. “Why are you here?”

  
“Nowhere else to go.” Peter wished he were smaller. Maybe then he would have been able to hide. Although the thought did nearly make him laugh. First time for everything, right?

  
“Cool, cool. Uh, want to come out now? We won’t eat you.” The wolf - Tony - chuffed for a moment before realizing that no one else found it funny. “Right. No eating jokes. Anyway, you’re kind of in the middle of nowhere and we can’t just leave you here, so…”

“You can.” Peter said it before he realized, but he also recognized the truth in the statement. There was nothing holding them there. They could leave at any time. They had no obligation to help him, no contract they would be breaking.

“No, we can’t.” The other one, this time. “Our leader would be mighty upset with us if he knew we left a defenseless pup out here.” Peter forced himself not to enjoy the sound of Bucky’s voice.

  
“Not a pup.” Peter tried to ignore the images and sounds that flashed through his mind at the words, the desperate defense of his continued existence. What he couldn’t ignore was the surprised snort that his words drew from Tony. He didn’t even want to consider why he was so comfortable calling them by name just yet.

  
“Kid, however old you are, you can’t be out here alone. We didn’t smell anyone here with you so it’s pretty obvious that we’re the only ones around to give a hand. Just give us a chance. Please?” The teasing tone had slowly been overtaken by concern and Peter could nearly taste the scent of protective alpha. It made him want to listen, to cower behind the alpha while he took care of whatever threat there was.

  
Rather than hide, however, Peter simply agreed. “Fine.” It came out short, on a breath in rather than out, making it sharp and rough.

  
Tony sighed. “Good.” He nudged the other wolf- Bucky. “Give the kid some space.” Together, the two backed up enough to allow Peter to slip out of his hollow - this time, of his own volition.  
Peter was helpless to do anything except follow behind the alphas as they led the way back to their pack. He was sure now that they were both alphas, the smell as well as how they held themselves giving it away. It was odd, he thought, that there would be alphas who were quite obviously so close to each other in one pack. Usually packs with multiple alphas simply split up, each alpha taking as many pack members with them as they could.

  
Tony and Bucky were quiet until they reached the edge of a clearing, at which point they both turned back to Peter.  
“You need to shift to come in,” Bucky told him. “We gotta know who exactly we’re bringin’ with us.”

  
Peter shook his head, backing up. “No, you didn’t tell me that. I can’t do that.” He knew that in other packs shifting was allowed, even for others within his pack it was, but for him it was forbidden. He took up enough space as it was. No reason for him to take up more by being in his other form.

  
“Do you not know how?” It was Tony this time, inquisitive eyes brushing over Peter’s body. “Or are you just afraid?”

  
“No, no, it’s neither, I swear, just don’t make me, please, please don’t make me.” His voice shook as his chest tightened and ears began to ring. He couldn’t do this. He had to get away before they made him shift and saw how ugly he was, how disgusting he was, before they killed him.

  
The smooth, low rumble of Bucky’s voice broke him out of his panic. “Fine, doll. As long as you tell us your name.”

  
Peter only hesitated a moment before agreeing. “Yeah, okay. I’m Peter.”

  
Bucky gave him a wolfy grin. “Very nice to meet you, Peter. C’mon in.”

  
Bucky and Tony shifted and Peter was amazed to see that they had clothing on. He’d never seen anything like that before. As far as he knew, every shifter lost their clothing when they shifted into their animal form, needing to carry their human clothing with them if they wanted it.

  
His thoughts were cut off by the pair stepping into the clearing and he rushed to follow. Whereas while they were shifted he was only the size of one of their paws, now he would fit in their hands if they cupped them together. He was fairly certain that if he jumped, he would only reach Bucky’s knee. Tony was a bit shorter, so he might reach somewhere on his lower thigh. As it was, he bounded behind them, their strides much too long for him to keep up while walking. They led him along a dirt path through a series of small cabins, each at least twice the size of the hut he had shared with May and Ben. They finally stopped in front of a cabin that was a bit larger than the rest. Peter shrank back a bit, wondering what could be inside. Judging by the scent of pissed off alpha radiating from it, it wasn’t anything good.  
Neither Bucky nor Tony seemed concerned by the smell, walking right into the cabin after a brief knock on the door to announce their presence. Peter followed just behind, careful to make it inside before they had the opportunity to shut his tail in the door. He’d learned that lesson quite a few times.

Before Peter could take in his surroundings and find somewhere he could hide, the door to the room in front of them opened and a man stepped out. It was quite obvious that he was the one creating the scent that surrounded them and his face matched it.

  
“Where the hell have you two been?” His handsome face was twisted into a snarl as he stalked towards the other alphas. “I thought I explicitly told you to be back within the hour, and here you are, three hours later!”

  
“We got a bit caught up, doll,” Bucky said as he stepped forwards to place his hands against the alpha’s chest. “Promise we’ll make it up to you.”

  
His words had a near immediate effect, the scent taking on a pleasant shape that surrounded Peter and nearly made him purr in pleasure. It was the smell of happy, content alpha. It was… unusual, to say the least, that it was another alpha interacting with the one releasing those pheromones, but once again, Peter didn’t have time to think before the alpha saw him.

  
“Tony?” The alpha questioned with a fake-sweet tone.

  
“Yes, Steve?” Tony teased back.

  
“Why exactly have you brought a pup back from your brief run of the border?” Steve’s glare shifted between Peter and Tony. Peter tried to hide himself behind the leg of the table that sat at the center of the room, but Tony stood proud under the heated gaze.

  
“We found him, terrified and shaking, right while we were finishing up. It wasn’t in the plan, if that’s what you’re asking.” Tony moved to join Bucky at the alpha’s - Steve’s - side, turning to look at Peter. He couldn’t hold in a whimper at the power of the stares he was receiving. He wanted nothing more than to disappear in that moment.

  
“And why isn’t he shifted? You know the rules.”

  
“Well, we thought he might need an exception.”

  
“There are no exceptions! You know that.”

  
Peter tried his best to tune out the argument, but found he was unable to do so. He was stuck in place by Bucky’s eyes, the eyes that had not been taken off of him since he had turned back to look at Peter after calming Steve. They were an odd mix between calculating and warm, a balance somewhere between grey and blue with the tiniest hints of green glinting around the edges.

  
“His name’s Peter.” Bucky’s smooth voice broke through the growing sound of Tony and Steve’s voices. At the words, Steve finally turned to face Peter.

  
“Peter.” He took a moment, light-blue eyes sharp as knives over Peter’s skin. “He can stay. But he has to shift.”

  
Panic once again flared through Peter, memories of beatings and harsh words flashing through his mind. He backed up until he hit a wall, shaking his head and letting out desperate whines, unable to find the words to try to beg this man not to make him do that.

  
He trembled harder as Steve took a few steps towards him before dropping into a crouch. “You’re safe here. You can shift. No one’s going to hurt you.” He continued to speak in a soft voice as he reached his hand out and allowed it to rest atop Peter’s head.

  
As soon as Peter felt the contact, he froze. No sound, no movement. It was the first time someone other than May or Ben had touched him in kindness in a very, very long time. He didn’t want it to stop. He pushed against it, trying to get it to move.

  
Luckily, Steve took the hint and began gently petting him, murmuring to Peter that he was safe, that he was okay, that he was good. It wasn’t entirely clear to him why he was inclined to believe this strange man, especially an alpha, but it just felt so good to be touched again.  
Peter shook his fur and Steve lifted his hand and took a step back, still in the crouched position. He reached behind him and slid a blanket towards Peter, finally taking his attention back to the other two people still in the room. Bucky still had the same look in his eyes, his face set in quiet determination. Tony stared with open curiosity and tenderness.

  
Peter turned his focus inward, picturing what he thought his human form would look like now. It had been so long. He used Steve as a reference, remembering how fingers and toes felt, the way that his skin didn’t protect him from the cold the same way his fur did. Slowly, Peter felt his body elongate and grow, forming the shape of a human boy huddled against the wall.

  
He snatched up the blanket and threw it over himself, leaving only his head visible to the alphas. He watched intensely as Steve settled down on the floor, crossing his legs and relaxing back while Bucky moved up behind him, allowing Steve to rest against his chest. Tony curled up beside them, pressing as much of his body into the pair as he could.

  
“So, Peter. How did you come to be in the woods this morning?”


	2. 2

Peter wanted to tell them. Really, he did. The problem was, he just couldn’t force the words out. He couldn’t make his mouth move. He was stuck in the memories of the light red spray of blood squirting from Ben’s throat, the crunch and snap of May’s neck breaking, the screaming of his packmates, and the hot terror that filled his veins as he ran away, abandoning his pack, his family, to die at the hands of the group who called themselves Hydra. 

The three alphas said nothing, simply watching. Steve’s eyes were kind and gentle as he reached out a hand towards Peter, an offering of connection. Peter hesitantly took it and Steve moved closer to him, settling in beside him on the floor. They were close enough for Peter to touch him, but not so close that he felt crowded. 

The proximity of the other man made Peter feel safe. It was some combination of the warmth of the blanket, the soothing scent being released by all three alphas, and the closeness that he hadn’t felt with anyone else in such a long time that allowed him to relax. He took a deep breath. He could do this. They wouldn’t hurt him. 

“So, um, my name is Peter. My pack was pretty big? I never really… I didn’t have anything to compare it to. I never left our lands. Well, never allowed to leave, really. I wasn’t… No one really wanted to show me off.” He ignored how Steve twitched beside him as he gave a dry chuckle. “I tried really hard to stay out of the way, so I wasn’t in the circle when everything started. I heard yelling and I knew something was wrong. Normally if someone starts yelling, the alpha stops it right away. But it didn’t stop. So I ran towards the circle as fast as I could and I found everyone there.” He squeezed his eyes shut and shook it, trying to block out the images of his packmates being ripped apart. “It was over pretty fast for most of us. We mostly stay to ourselves so we don’t really need to know how to fight. Only the alpha and a few betas were left fighting. And my Aunt May and Uncle Ben.” He cleared his throat and wiped away his tears as quickly as he could. “They told me to run and I wanted to, I did. I promise I wanted to. I wanted to help, too, but what can a runt like me do?” He shrugged helplessly. “May and Ben died. That’s when I ran. I don’t know if I was followed. Then I fell and didn’t want to get up, so I just… didn’t. Then you guys found me.” 

Peter expected… something to happen when he finished. He wasn’t entirely sure what, but it wasn’t for Steve to ask, “Can I hold you?”

“What?” Peter glanced at Tony and Bucky, both of whom crept closer during his tale, searching for the punchline. 

“I’m not going to touch you without permission. So, can I hold you?” The earnest look in Steve’s eyes was too honest to be hiding a joke. 

“Yeah, I guess.” Peter shrugged. “I’m not moving the blanket, though.” 

Steve laughed quietly. “You don’t need to.” He shifted closer to Peter, doing his best not to jostle him as he wrapped his arms around him. Peter was struck by the gentle way Steve touched him, as though he would break if handled too roughly. He liked being held by him, how he allowed him to curl into his neck to hide his blushing face without comment, how he didn’t try to squeeze but his arms weren’t completely limp either. 

Peter didn’t know how long Steve allowed them to sit there before he moved slightly, causing Peter to look up. He blinked blearily, exhausted from his lack of sleep the previous night and the events of the past few days. 

“Would it be alright if Tony and Bucky joined us?” Steve questioned. Peter turned around slightly, looking over his shoulder to see the two waiting eagerly for his response. He nodded quickly before shoving his face back against Steve’s neck. 

He felt a body settle in on either side of Steve as Steve himself pulled Peter further into his lap. The calm and content pheromones that surrounded him lulled Peter into a soft sleep, oblivious to the quiet conversation taking place over his head. 

“I’m sorry for snapping at you two. I get so worried when you aren’t back when you say you will be.” Steve sighed. “Please be a bit more punctual next time? It worked out this time, but don’t make it a habit.” 

“‘Course, doll.” Bucky kissed his shoulder. “We never meant to worry you.” 

“Thanks, babe.” Steve turned to Tony. “You said you found him? And how did that go?” 

Tony blanched slightly. “Well, I might’ve… dragged him out of his hidey-hole and pinned him down.” At seeing Steve’s murderous expression, he rushed to continue. “But I didn’t hurt him! Promise!” 

Steve nuzzled Tony’s hair. “I know, Tones. He’s just so hurt and traumatized from everything that came before that I don’t want anything to happen to endanger his trust in us.” 

Tony narrowed his eyes. “What do you mean? Why do you care so much about him?” 

Bucky moved to peer at Tony across Peter. “You serious? What, you’ve forgotten what our marks look like?”

Tony shook his head vehemently. “No, what does that have to do with this?” 

Bucky gently reached up and pulled the blanket down slightly from Peter’s neck. There shone a softly glowing blue star, nearly hidden by his hairline. 

Tony gasped, clutching his wrist. “No… No, that isn’t possible. We can’t… He can’t be. He just can’t.” 

Steve soothed him, caressing his hand until his grip relaxed. “It’s alright, love. We can figure this out later. For now, pile with me?” 

Bucky rumbled gently on the other side of Steve, adding, “I like him.” 

Steve snorted. “That isn’t what I meant by ‘later’, babe.” 

Tony shut them both up with a slap to Steve’s shoulder and a gesture to the sleeping figure in Steve’s lap. The two turned their attention back to Peter just to hear him begin to snore softly. All three of the alphas had to fight the desire to begin cooing over him, their hearts tender at the idea of him being so comfortable with them. 

The distraction worked and they finally settled down. Peter was curled in Steve’s lap with his face against his neck, meaning that Bucky couldn’t quite rest his head on Steve’s shoulder comfortably and Tony couldn’t plop himself across the two. With a bit of shuffling, they figured out how to move Peter enough that he fell carefully across the three, his head on Bucky and his legs laying a bit haphazardly on Tony. When he was like that Bucky could finally lean on Steve the way he wanted and Tony did his best to cocoon Steve’s arm and shoulder with his upper body. Steve put his head back against the wall and sighed. It was nice to have all his boys with him. 

Unfortunately, Peter was the first to wake up. He was quite confused as to why his place on the floor was more bumpy than usual, so he whacked it to try to flatten it. Of course, the ‘floor’ that he hit was, in fact, Bucky’s knee. Bucky jolted upright, causing Steve to leap to his feet to fight off whatever threat there was, sending Tony toppling over. It was a complete shitshow that ended with Peter once again shaking in the corner at the sight of the three alphas in attack mode. 

When they realized that there was no danger, they turned back to Peter, horrified at themselves for scaring him so much. Steve moved forwards but Tony pulled him back, whispering harshly. 

“Do you really think he needs a beefcake coming at him right now? I’m smaller and less threatening, I’m doing it.” 

Steve mulled it over, but a glance at Bucky told him to agree. “Fine. Be careful. We’ll be back here.” He pulled Bucky close with an arm over his shoulder and rested against him. 

Tony gently called out. “Peter? Can I come closer?” 

Peter’s head back to Tony at his words, previously having been fixated on Bucky and Steve. He gave a hesitant nod and Tony shuffled closer, sticking to the wall and trying to look as non-threatening as possible. He slowed as he got closer but Peter didn’t react, just staring with his brown doe eyes. Tony stopped just short of touching Peter and settled into place next to him.  
“We didn’t mean to scare you kid. I promise. We just aren’t big fans of sudden wake-up calls, yeah? It isn’t your fault, promise.” 

“Yeah?” Peter peered up at him carefully, expression a mixture of fear and hope. 

“Yeah. Can I hold you?” Tony checked in, and at Peter’s nod, wrapped his arms around Peter’s shivering frame. His heart broke at how thin and cold Peter felt and he promised himself that they’d get him healthy. It took everything in him to resist the urge to call over Bucky and Steve and have them join him to smother Peter in warmth and love. 

Peter soon stopped shaking, but his face immediately turned pink when his stomach growled loudly. Bucky chuckled at the sound, only quieting when Steve pinched him. 

“Food time?” Tony teased Peter, who nodded shyly. Tony unwrapped himself from around Peter, urging him to stand. Bucky and Steve watched amusedly as Tony groaned while he stood, sending them a glare when he was on his feet. 

“Hey, it isn’t my fault that I’m an old man. What, you couldn’t offer a hand? Kids these days with no manners.” 

“Tony, you’re five years older than us,” Steve deadpanned. “Don’t be that dramatic.” 

Bucky grinned, adding, “I dunno, he’s got a point, doll. He’s got those old joints.” 

Tony mock gasped in offense. “Excuse me? You’re supposed to tell me how wonderful and youthful I look! Pete, back me up here.” 

Peter, who had been watching the exchange with a look of confusion, startled at the reference to him. “Who, me?” 

Tony snorted. “No, the other Peter we rescued.” 

“Tony, stop teasing him!” 

“I’m not teasing, I’m just being honest!” 

“You don’t need to be honest like that!” 

As the bickering continued, Bucky slid around them and came closer to Peter. “Don’t worry, sweet thing. They aren’t always like this.” He sends a sly look to Peter. “It’s pretty entertaining, though.” 

Peter gives him a nervous smile, agreeing. “Yeah, it kind of reminds me of some of the other kids and how they’d kind of mess around with each other like that. You know, fake arguments and all that.” His face falls. “Guess I won’t get to hear that anymore, though.” 

Bucky takes a chance and nudges him. “Well, you have these two dorks, so don’t dwell on it.” When Peter doesn’t seem to cheer up at that, he gets a bit more serious. “Hey, I’m not kiddin’. You’ll get much more of these little shows. Don’t stress about it.” 

Peter’s mouth twists. “What do you mean? Why would I be here for them? Isn’t it like… I don’t know, not my place? I’ll be doing kitchen work, you’ll all be doing your thing, I won’t see you.” 

Bucky’s brow furrows and he turns to look at Peter. “Why would you be doing kitchen work? Do you like doing that?” 

“Not really? Sometimes I’d um… fix the toys for the pups. I really liked that. Working with my hands. I couldn’t get my hands on anything bigger, though.” Peter glanced over at Bucky, flushing and ducking his head when their eyes met. “I don’t know why I’m telling you this. I don’t know why you make me feel safe. I don’t… I don’t know how to react.” 

Bucky shrugged. “You don’t need to react, I don’t think. Just let us take care of you.” 

Peter snorts. “Can that start with breakfast?” 

Bucky laughs. “You sound like Tony. Don’t let him rub off on you too much or you’ll develop his appetite.” 

The sounds of the argument in the background abruptly stops. “Excuse you, Barnes, but I’ll have you know that I have a perfectly healthy appetite! Who are you to talk, you eat anything that’s put in front of you!” Bucky snorts. “And don’t even get me started on you, Steve, the way you’ll sneak into the kitchen and steal cookies from poor Happy. Awful, awful, both of you!” Tony threw his hands into the air, exasperated. 

Bucky winked at Peter. Steve watched the interaction, smiling gently. Tony quieted when he saw everyone looking at Peter, joining in. Fortunately, Peter didn’t notice, busy pulling the blanket he was still wearing more tightly around him. His actions sent Tony into the next room, grabbing the smallest shirt and pants that he could find, as well as an old pair of boots that had shrunk. 

“Peter. Want some actual clothes?” Peter looked up from where he was gripping the blanket in a death grip to see the clothing that Tony was holding. 

“Yes, please. That would be great.” Despite his words, Peter didn’t move to take the clothes from Tony, instead choosing to shift from foot to foot. Tony took this as an invitation to step a bit closer, placing a gentle hand on Peter’s shoulder and beginning to lead him into the bedroom. 

“Here, I’ll give you a little privacy. I’m nice like that.” Peter gave Tony a small smile at his words and Tony had to resist giving a little fist pump. 

“Thank you.” Peter allowed Tony to hand him the clothes before Tony stepped back and shut the door. He turned back and gave a shining grin to his mates, jumping into their arms and rubbing against them. 

“I can’t believe we found him. We didn’t know, why didn’t we know?” He looked desperately up at the other two. “How could we not have realized?” 

Bucky ran a hand through Tony’s hair, shushing him gently. “Baby, we did know. We’ve all felt something was missin’, we just thought it was a pup, not another mate. It isn’t your fault.” 

Steve tightened his grip on them. “We have him now, that’s what matters. We won’t let anything happen to him.” 

They stood huddled together until they heard the door to the bedroom open. All three of them turned to look at the same time, feeling a rush of warmth in their chests at the sight of Peter being swallowed within a warm hoodie and a pair of sweatpants that just barely stayed above his waist as well as completely covering his feet. 

Tony untangled himself from the embrace to move towards Peter. “Pete, can I tie up your pants? They look like they’re going to fall down any second.”

Peter’s face turned beat red. “Oh, yeah, I’m sorry, I wasn’t really sure how to tie it so it wouldn’t get stuck and I didn’t want to ruin your pants. I’m so sorry.” 

Tony shook his head, kneeling in front of Peter to pull the strings of the sweatpants tighter and tie it off. “No, you didn’t do anything wrong. You’re okay.” Finishing his knot off with a flourish, he shuffled back a bit before standing. Turning back towards Steve and Bucky he clapped his hands together. “Food?” 

Bucky smiled indulgently, ruffling Tony’s hair. “Food.”


	3. Chapter 3

The three alphas surrounded Peter while they made their way to the cafeteria. They did their best to stay out of his personal space, but to those watching it was quite obvious that they were flanking him, protecting him from any outside eyes or threats. Luckily, he was too distracted with making sure he didn’t trip over anything to notice their actions. Unfortunately, the pack was not. 

When they arrived at the mess hall, Steve and Bucky approached the serving line to get food for them all while Tony guided Peter to a table off to the side. Peter was stuck between staring around him in awe and curling away and trying to look as small and unassuming as possible. 

Tony slid onto the bench next to him,, hands fluttering as he considered whether or not he should pull Peter close or give him space. His instincts screamed at him to comfort Peter, to pull him into his own body heat so he could make sure he was warm and healthy. His knowledge of trauma victims, however, warned that unwelcome touching would not help in their situation whatsoever. By the time Bucky and Steve came back with plates piled high with eggs, toast, pancakes, and as much bacon as possible, Tony seemed to be on the verge of his own anxiety attack. The sight of his mates calmed him, especially when he saw the steaming cup of coffee that was being offered by Bucky. He gladly accepted it and began sipping, ignoring how it may have been scalding his tongue. 

Steve sighed at this interaction, knowing that while Tony was overly dependent on his caffeine, it also made him happy. There was nothing more fulfilling than seeing his mates happy and healthy, although the argument could be made that the coffee was anything other than healthy for a shifter with a heart condition. 

Bucky loved how Tony accepted the coffee he’d gotten for him. It caused a surge of pride at being able to provide for his mate even with something as small as a drink. He had noticed that Tony seemed to have been panicking while alone with Peter and if his actions could alleviate some of that, then all the better. 

Peter looked up at the smell of food and the movement of Steve and Bucky settling down on the bench across from them. He tried not to notice that they were between him and the door, that Tony had him pinned between his body and the wall. He also refused to acknowledge that those facts didn’t upset him as much as they should have. Instead, he bowed his head and uttered a soft, “thank you” to Steve and Bucky before waiting for the alphas to begin eating. 

The way that Peter didn’t immediately begin eating caused a bit of confusion between said alphas, but Bucky was able to pick up on it relatively quickly. 

“Alright, let’s eat. Tony, Steve, is there anything else you want with your food?”

Tony was the next to respond, having caught the significant look Bucky had sent him with his words. 

“No thanks, Bucky-bear, I have everything I need right here.” He included a wink with his answer, unable to resist. 

Steve was oblivious to why they were doing this but followed along. 

“I’m fine, thanks though Buck.” 

Bucky nodded while Steve and Tony began to eat, turning to Peter to quietly ask, “Is there anything you want? Sometimes they have these amazin’ fruit tarts that melt in your mouth.” 

Peter shook his head quickly and rushed out a, “No, no, I’m fine, thank you.” 

Bucky gave a slight incline of his head and dug into his meal. Peter followed at a much more sedated pace, focusing on the protein. He knew he would likely need it for whatever the alphas had planned for him after the food. 

He wanted so desperately to be safe. He wanted to let them hold him and comfort him, but he couldn’t. There was a voice stuck in his head, reminding him that he wasn’t worth it, that they were playing with him. It sounded like Flash. It sounded like Alpha Beck. He hated that voice but he couldn’t help but listen. It was right, after all. No one ever stuck around. He wasn’t worth it. 

The food disappeared quickly for Steve and Bucky, with Tony finishing up a few minutes after. Peter’s plate was half-way cleared, but he couldn’t eat anymore. It was the fullest he’d felt in weeks and he wasn’t willing to give that up by overeating and losing his stomach. He ducked his head at the looks exchanged by the other three but was grateful that none of them said anything. To his face, anyway. He was sure they’d talk about it when he wasn’t paying attention. 

Steve gathered up the empty trays and plates, taking them over to the trash bins and scraping them off before taking them over to the counter to be cleaned by kitchen staff. Tony, Bucky, and Peter waited for him near the door after Tony wiped down their table with a napkin, freeing it up for someone else to use. 

Once they were all together again, the alphas took up their formation around Peter again. This time, the omega noticed what they were doing and felt unease begin to grow in the pit of his stomach. They were surrounding him, not giving him any space to escape. He took careful breaths, trying to regulate his heart rate and gave no outward signs of distress. He couldn’t let them know that he saw what they were up to -- it might make them take action. 

Bucky picked up on the slight stiffening of Peter’s body and the change in his gait, the way he began to take stock of where exactly each of the alphas were placed. He took a few larger steps to change the shape of the group, walking next to Steve rather than behind and to the right, leaving Tony next to Peter. He hoped that it would put Peter more at ease, show him that they weren’t a threat. 

It worked, marginally. Peter maintained his hypervigilance and made sure to track Tony’s movements carefully, but Bucky’s actions gave him less to worry about. He suspected that it could be a trap, a way to lure him into a false sense of security before they showed him what they really did to outsiders, especially useless runts. 

Tony, in turn, took Bucky’s absence as an excuse to talk with Peter alone, or at least as alone as possible with his two mates walking right in front of them. 

“So, you come from another pack, right? Well, we do some stuff differently around here, if you haven’t noticed. I know that it’s a big change, I came from a different pack myself. We all did actually, we made this place on our own. We wanted something different so we decided to just make it ourselves. Everyone has a different eutopia, you know? Anyway, this is ours. We’re pretty organized but aren’t militaristic, don’t worry. We elect a leader every few years, and Stevie here has been pretty consistent in getting all the votes. Of course, at first it was just me and Bucky, but he still wins by a big margin. We’re really proud of him, our big protector. He’d do basically anything to protect all of us, the self-sacrificial jerk. I can tell you so many stories about him running headlong into battle without a second thought just because someone else was in danger, even if he didn’t know them. My cuddlebear has more stories, they grew up together and Sweetcheeks up there’s always been like that, even though he used to be this tiny, asthmatic thing. Drives me crazy, what he gets up to.” Tony shook his head before turning to Peter. “Anyway, you should fit in here. Plenty of us just showed up one day and they’ve all settled in nicely. And you’ve got us, so that’ll help.” 

Peter just stared at Tony. His brain was filtering through the infodump that had been presented to him but he seemed to be stuck on two parts in particular -- the cute nicknames and the mention of him having the alphas. He had suspected, they acted so close and acted like much more than friends but… was it really possible? The three of them? A light burn grew in his chest at the same time as a cold feeling in his gut. He didn’t have a chance (not that he’d want one). They had each other, what could they possibly want with Peter? But the way that Tony said he “had them” allowed a tiny spark of hope to survive even as Beck reminded him that he was useless, that if his parents didn’t want him, why would anyone else? 

Tony continued his rambling as they approached the cabin, only ceasing when they got inside and began shucking their muddy shoes off. Steve knelt in front of Peter, untying and sliding his shoes off before he had the chance. He cupped the back of his ankle gently as he lifted his leg to slip it off, giving Peter the space to move away if he wanted. He didn’t. 

Bucky watched fondly while Tony moved further into the house, muttering something about making a cleaning system for their shoes. He made sure not to linger as Steve backed up a step before rising to his full height, but not before admiring the size difference between the two even with Steve on his knees. The broad shoulders combined with the skinny frame before him made for a pretty picture, but Bucky knew better than to push it. Instead, he followed Tony through the wide sliding door into the kitchen where his mate was sitting at the counter scribbling madly into a notebook. 

“Back on the job already, doll?” Bucky teased as he pulled out the chair next to Tony, peeking over his shoulder at the schematics and equations beginning to take shape beneath his hands. He loved watching Tony create with nothing but his mind and tools, shaping metal to suit his needs. Tony had created the arm that hid beneath a thick sleeve and glove he wore. He had first worried about Tony’s reaction to him not wanting others to see it, but it had instead triggered a possessive streak in his mate that he may have taken advantage of a few times. 

Steve wandered in a minute later, followed by a heavily blushing Peter who was twisting his hands in his shirt while looking around carefully, sending a glance towards the alphas every few seconds. Steve joined Bucky in watching Tony, a dopey smile taking over his face. Bucky understood what he was feeling; the contentment of having all of their mates in one place. He felt whole.


	4. Chapter 4

Seeing everyone getting settled, Steve came up behind Bucky and murmured in his ear. “I’m going to go make sure everything’s running smoothly. Hold down the fort here?” He rubbed his hands gently over Bucky’s shoulders, releasing some of the tension he had been holding in response to Peter’s nerves. 

“What, you don’t trust Peggy to take care of it?” He teased, turning to press a gentle kiss to Steve’s cheek. “Go, I got this.” 

“Thank you. Make sure Tony doesn’t blow anything up… again.” They shared an amused smile, Bucky giving Steve a proper peck on the lips before waving him off. 

“I will, go mother-hen someone else for a change.” Steve nudged him playfully before nodding respectfully to Peter and heading out. 

Bucky glanced back over at Tony, seeing that he was still muttering over his equations and sketches. He stepped into the adjacent office and got extra paper and a few more pencils for Tony -- Gods knew he’d need them. 

Having taken care of two mates, he turned to his third. Peter was standing in the center of the living room where they’d all spent the night behind the couch, spending time to take everything in. To be fair, ‘everything’ wasn’t much. The couch, two chairs facing them, a table in the middle. The attached kitchen with the expected amenities -- stove, refrigerator, sink, etcetera. There were only two rooms branching off, the bedroom which Peter had just recently seen (as well as the attached bathroom) and the office. The office did have the backdoor in it, leading out into the garden and shed, also known as Tony’s workshop. Peter, of course, knew nothing of the home they all shared. It was clear to Bucky that he had no idea of his place there. He also knew that his mates would not be able to rectify that. And so, he took it upon himself to give Peter the tour. 

“Peter?” He called gently, immediately getting his shy mate’s attention. “Would you like to take a look around with me? It’s been a while since I’ve seen the garden.” 

“Yes, of course. Whatever you want.” The response was slightly suspicious, but Bucky allowed it to pass. He wouldn’t push -- not yet anyway. 

“It’s right through here.” Bucky moved again towards the door to the office, keeping an eye out to make sure Peter was following him. Peter did follow, but not before warily looking at Tony. 

In the office, there wasn’t much. The desk, covered in papers and pens, the shelves holding knick knacks that Tony had made for them decorating the walls, the bookshelf filled to bursting with their collection of books that they’d cultivated. Peter’s eyes danced across all of it, taking note of the exact positions of everything before he looked back up at Bucky. 

Bucky opened the door to the back yard, allowing the cool, fresh air to brush across his face before moving through, allowing Peter to follow at his own pace. His flowers were doing well despite the chill that had begun with the approach of autumn, just beginning to recede back into the earth to hibernate for the winter. He ran a hand over the soil, deciding they didn’t need to be watered just yet. If it didn’t rain in the next few days he would, but for now the best thing for them was sunlight. 

Even as he moved to examine the small garden and see if his crops were growing well, Bucky tracked Peter’s movements. He could hear the light footsteps as they skirted across the split in the path, moving towards Tony’s workshop. He knew the door was unlocked and the windows open, but he wasn’t sure if Peter would enter. Once he knew that Peter had his back to him, he chanced a peek at what Peter was doing.   
As expected, Peter hadn’t quite entered. He was, however, leaning towards the door, taking in the glory that was Tony’s creations. One thing that was a surprise was that he saw movement within the workshop. The bots must have seen Peter and were startled by the presence of a stranger. As he straightened, preparing himself to make some sort of unassuming noise to distract Peter, he was caught off guard by the sight of DUM-E and U spinning excitedly in front of Peter as he shook gently. Bucky was afraid, for a moment, until he realized it was laughter. BUTTERFINGERS was behind his brothers, waving a claw in the air while his motor whirred. The bots weren’t afraid, or angry, or upset. They liked Peter.   
That’s when Bucky realized that Peter truly did belong with them. He was absolutely perfect. He fit perfectly. 

Peter glanced back over his shoulder at Bucky and blanched at the sight of Bucky watching him. Yes, there was a soft smile and his eyes were warm, but he couldn’t help but feel like he was being scolded for being somewhere he shouldn’t be. But Bucky nodded, gesturing for him to continue, so he took a step forward. 

The bots swirled around him, not quite touching but certainly wanting to. As they settled, Peter reached out a shaking hand and ran it over one of their claws. DUM-E whirred and shivered in delight, pushing against Peter. This signaled the other bots to come closer and start poking at Peter. One of them hit an especially ticklish spot and Peter let out a giggle. Once it started, he didn’t stop. He was laughing and grinning and touching the bots and so, so happy and excited. 

Bucky watched with a grin of his own. He was tempted to get Tony but wasn’t willing to leave Peter alone, even with the bots to watch over him. So instead, he watched in adoration and awe as the creations of his mate accepted Peter into their family.   
It was a situation where one could lose track of time, but Bucky’s training ran too deep for that to happen. Instead, he knew that exactly 23 minutes and 34 seconds after Peter first stepped outside, Tony joined them. 

Bucky ran his fingers over the hand that placed itself on his right shoulder, allowing himself to shiver at the sensation of the hand sliding down his arm to grasp his own hand. He maneuvered their joined hands so that his arm was wrapped around Tony’s shoulders while not breaking their grip. 

“How long has he been in there?” Tony whispered, unwilling to break the spell that was Peter’s happiness. 

“Only about 7 minutes,” he whispered back. At Tony’s look, he amended his statement. “7 minutes and 29 seconds now.” 

Tony nodded, turning his body slightly to tuck himself more firmly against Bucky’s side. “We’re going to need to have an Adult Talk about this, aren’t we?” 

“Unfortunately, yes. You know Stevie will insist.” He fixed his attention on Peter once again, seeing that he was now petting each of the bots in turn as they jostled for his attention. “Do you think Peter is up for it? I don’t wanna skeeve him out, but we can’t make decisions for him, either.” 

Tony nodded. “This is going to suck, isn’t it?” 

Bucky shrugged. “Probably. But it hasta’ happen, so we’ll deal.” He placed a kiss on the top of Tony’s head, enjoying the warmth of the sun combined with the body heat. He kept his lips there for a moment, closing his eyes in contentment and accepting the pure love that flowed through their bond. He distantly felt Peter’s emotions, but they were so muted compared to Tony and Steve’s that he’d have to focus in order to truly know what they were. He wouldn’t though. He wouldn’t invade his privacy like that. 

He lifted his head after 1 minute and 41 seconds, turning back to Peter. A slight pang of guilt shot through his heart at not giving Tony all of his attention, but the tight grip of Tony’s hand in his soothed him. 

Peter was sitting on the ground now, the bots calmly settled around him as he leaned against them. As if feeling Bucky’s gaze (which he very well could be), he looked up at him and Tony. All at once, Peter’s body went tense as he became unsure of whether he was overstepping, doing something he shouldn’t. Bucky purposefully turned his gaze away, instead bringing his unoccupied hand up to Tony’s chin to tip his head up. The sun turned his gorgeous brown eyes a glowing, shifting amber and he couldn’t help but to move in and give his soft lips a gentle kiss. 

A glance back at Peter showed him more relaxed, his eyes now glued to Tony and Bucky, flickering between their clasped hands, the closeness of their embrace, and the kiss he had witnessed. Even at a distance, Bucky could see Peter’s face flush before he looked down. He hoped that it was embarrassment and not a feeling of intrusion. 

Tony looked at Peter as well, and chuckled at his actions. “Looks like we have another softie here, huh Buck?” The hand that wasn’t in Bucky’s ran down his back to grip his ass. “Want to give him a show?” He murmured, leaning up for another kiss. 

“Not yet, doll. Let’s wait for our Stevie to get here so we can make sure we have a true audience, hm?” Even with his denial, Bucky couldn’t resist giving Tony a much dirtier kiss than the last one. Tony groaned, a faux painful sound that Bucky loved hearing. He snuck one more peck before Tony ignored him in favor of Peter. 

“So, my bots like you. Let’s have a proper introduction, yeah?”


	5. Chapter 5

Peter’s smile is something that Tony could watch forever. He wanted to keep it, to see it at every moment they were together. And the fact that Peter smiled at the bots, Tony’s children, only made it better. He felt the pressure of the hastily sketched blueprints in his back pocket, plans to make a smaller bot that could act as a protector of the house. He mentally added new features, considering how to make it more friendly to Peter. He wanted that smile. 

“So, you’ve won their trust, that’s the hard part. Well, maybe it’s the easy part, the hard part will be turning down DUM-E’s smoothies so you don’t get poisoned - don’t give me that look, you know damn well that you shouldn’t put oil in my drinks - or making sure BUTTERFINGERS doesn’t drop a hammer on your foot. U isn’t allowed on fire extinguisher duty anymore. Well, none of them are. The fire extinguisher is now hidden.” As he named each of the bots, Tony pointed in their direction, not slowing down even when he interrupted himself. 

“They take care of the workshop - and by ‘take care of’ I mean do their best to make a mess in - while we’re away. JARVIS takes care of the more complicated tasks, such as locking doors and not setting things on fire - yes, U, I know about that - so JARVIS, why don’t you introduce yourself?” 

A voice with an accent Peter couldn’t quite place emanated from around them. “Welcome home, Sir. I assume the perimeter check went well?” 

Peter stiffened visibly, but Tony plowed through. “Don’t be a smart ass, just say hello to Peter.” 

“Hello, Master Peter. It’s a pleasure to meet you. I am JARVIS, an A.I. built by Sir to run the home and workshop. Please do not hesitate to ask me for assistance should you need it.”   
Peter gave a jerky head movement, presumably a nod, along with a soft, “Hello.” 

“Yeah, so as he said, any problems, just bring them up with him. Want to lock a door? Ask him. Want to vent? Ask him, he’ll make fun of you. Not really, he only makes fun of me, but seriously, he can help with whatever. Just talk and he’ll hear you. Not in a creepy way, he isn’t watching you, but he’s installed everywhere. Again, not in a creepy way, he’s just in the house and workshop. If you want privacy, ask him to look away for a bit and he will. Any questions for me or him?”   
Peter gave an aborted shake of his head before changing his mind. “Um, yeah… What does he do when he isn’t like, helping out? Does that make sense?” 

“No, I get that. JARVIS, want to answer?” Tony didn’t look up at the ceiling as he spoke, instead choosing to walk deeper into the workshop, pulling out the paper from his pocket as he did. 

“I enjoy speaking with my brothers, as well as assisting Sir with his projects. He often has me running calculations while he is away.” Peter nodded at the answer, ducking his head. 

“So,” Tony turned back to Peter, clapping his hands together. “Where do you want to start? JARVIS can give you some information on what we’ve been working on, I can give some demonstrations, you can hang out with the bots… Balls in your court, Pete. Oh, and Buck, go check on our Steve. He’s definitely haranguing Peggy and Pepper and we don’t want them too pissed off at us today.”   
Peter’s head snapped between Tony and Bucky at the last words, previously having been staring at Tony with wide eyes. Tony did his best to ignore the movement but he was slightly concerned about whiplash. 

“Of course, doll. I’ll drag him back kicking and screaming if I have to.” Bucky winks at Peter. “Don’t worry, he doesn’t kick that hard.”   
Tony has to suppress a giggle at the look on Peter’s face as Bucky leaves, but is quickly distracted by the figure Bucky strikes as he walks away. The broad shoulders, the arms hidden beneath his shirt and jacket, the glove hiding what is secretly his favorite part of Bucky’s body… 

He shakes off the thoughts as he returns to Peter. “Alrighty then, pick your poison. What’ll it be?” 

Peter looks around hesitantly, eyes flickering across the tools and half-finished projects covering the workbench that dominates the space. “Can I just… watch maybe? If that’s okay?” 

“Of course, you can stick where you are or I can lend you a chair if I can find one somewhere.”   
Tony spun in a circle, looking for something for Peter to sit on, but of course was saved by JARVIS. “Sir, I believe there is a stool tucked under the workbench.” 

“Right, I knew that. Thanks, J.” He pulled it out, offering it to Peter, who stood and brushed himself off carefully before gingerly sitting on it. The bots took that as an invitation to start whirring around the workshop, picking up tools and hanging them in the wrong places on the walls and nearly knocking half of what they came in contact with onto the floor. 

Tony sighed but left what he didn’t need where it had fallen. “JARVIS, pull up the blueprints for Project Waterworks,” Tony said, doing his best not to perform under Peter’s watchful gaze. “Perfect, let’s get started.” 

Peter watched as Tony buzzed around, falling into a rhythm with the bots and JARVIS as he worked. It became clear why DUM-E wasn’t allowed to use the fire extinguisher, as he tried to dump water on a piece of Tony’s work after Tony heated it carefully under a blowtorch. Luckily, Tony had caught him in time and shooed him away, sending him in Peter’s direction where he got plenty of head pats.   
Tony was working on a way to improve the plumbing system in their community. While there was already a water pump at the center of town and the dining facility had running water for dishes, it was much harder for him to set up the pipes than it had been to get electricity into all the homes and community buildings. Considering that even that had taken over two years due to the extensive work it required, this was going to take a while. 

He was interrupted after a bit over two hours by JARVIS. “Sir, I believe Masters Rodgers and Barnes have returned home and are requesting your presence along with Master Peter’s.” 

Tony sighed, putting down his welding tools and pushing up his visor. “On it, J. Pete, ready for a grown-up chat?” 

Peter had jumped at the sound of JARVIS’s voice, but recovered enough to say, “Yeah - uh, yes, of course, we just… go inside?” 

“Yep, the boys are probably already sitting in the kitchen eating all our food. Advantage of having Bucky - the folks in the kitchen just can’t say no to him. He’s too charming for his own good.” Tony herded the bots back into their ports. “Alright, let’s head out. No doubt I’ll get a Disappointed Steve face for keeping you cooped up out here for so long.” 

Tony left the workshop, stopping outside the door and gesturing for Peter to lead the way. He closed the door behind them and made sure JARVIS locked it. DUM-E was not tearing up Bucky’s garden today. Tony had learned that lesson. 

By the time they reached the house, Bucky was leaning against the door. “Have fun out there?” he questioned before leaning down to peck Tony’s lips. 

“I did, how about you Pete?” Tony leaned against Bucky, turning to Peter. 

“Oh - yes, yes I had fun. Thank you for letting me watch,” Peter said, bowing his head towards them. 

Both Bucky and Tony felt a bit of apprehension at Peter’s response, but they let it pass for the moment. It would likely be addressed during their larger conversation with Steve. Instead, they followed Peter into the house, Bucky reluctantly releasing his grip on Tony to pass through the doorway. 

In the living room, they found Steve already seated in one of the armchairs, drawing in one of his sketchbooks while snacking on a cookie. The three men felt affection bloom in their chests as the domestic sight, each wanting to curl up with him, to hold and be held.   
Bucky and Tony allowed Peter to choose his seat before sitting themselves. They were pleased to find that he chose the couch, allowing one of them to be closer to him than he would have been had he chosen a chair. In turn, Bucky sat with Peter and Tony perched on the armchair opposite of Steve. Rather than sitting like a civilized person, he chose to put his feet on the cushion and sit on the arm while leaning sideways against the back. 

Steve looked up as they settled, rolling his eyes affectionately at Tony’s antics and sending a soft smile towards Peter and Bucky. 

“Hey, Peter. Did Tony keep you entertained in the workshop?” Steve closed his sketchbook and slid it onto the coffee table, grabbing another cookie as he did. 

“Yeah, it was really cool… I uh, I really liked it.” 

Tony smiled at the response, barely resisting the urge to bounce in his seat. 

“Good, I’m glad you enjoyed it. We just want to make sure - Tony, put that back, you can’t hog the entire platter!” Steve was rudely interrupted by Tony snatching up a plate of cookies and beginning to munch on one. 

“You don’t even like oatmeal raisin! You completely ignore the sweetness and get hung up on the raisins. I deserve them more than you.” Tony stuck his tongue out at Steve, unconcerned by the crumbs that had attached themselves to his face as he started on another cookie. 

Steve gave a long-suffering sigh. “Fine, but at least offer Peter one? You have at least twenty on there.” 

Tony shook his head, smirking. “Nah, I don’t think Pete would like them. They’re filled with raisins, who likes raisins?” 

Bucky, who had been watching with amusement, took it upon himself to grab two cookies from Tony, putting them on napkins on the   
table. “There, problem solved. Sweetheart,” he addressed Peter, “you’re welcome to anything we have. Watch out for our Tony though, he might try to steal from you.” He added a wink to the end. 

Tony gave a theatrical gasp. “Well, I never! Betrayed by my own mate, how dare you? I’ll have you know that food simply tastes better when you take it from someone else. That isn’t my fault!” 

“Sure, doll. It doesn’t have anything to do with being a brat, not at all,” Bucky drawled. 

Steve cleared his throat in an attempt to stop their banter. “Do we really want to do this again today? I’d rather not take all day.” 

It was Tony’s turn to sigh. “Fine, but we’re picking this up later,” he said, pointing at Bucky. 

Bucky grinned. “Sure thing, love. Whatever you want.” 

Steve rearranged his expression to make sure his amusement wasn’t showing before continuing. “So. Adult talk time. We need to discuss what we all are expecting from our situation here and give Peter the space he needs to ask questions. Before we get started does anyone need something? I’d rather not have interruptions when they can be avoided.” 

Everyone shook their heads. 

“Good. Let’s get started.”


End file.
